Moon (movie)

Writer-director Neill Blomkamp's unheralded feature debut, "District 9," arrived like a bolt of lightning in 2009. With its propulsive energy and pointed aliens-as-apartheid allegory, the film racked up stellar reviews, a $115-million box office take and four Academy Award nominations, including for best picture. While it might be overkill to declare his follow-up, "Elysium," a sophomore slump, reviews have been more measured this time around.

"Elysium" tells the story of an accident-stricken factory worker (Matt Damon) in 2154 Los Angeles who races to save his life by gaining access to an exclusive space station where the ruling class resides. The...